As many of you know by now, I’ve been a Carpenters fan for the past 20 years. For over two years, I've been sharing several #MusicMonday blogs about my favorite Carpenters songs and including some of my covers.
About two months ago, an idea came to me that I should compile all my covers together to share as one playlist. When I first discovered the Carpenters, it began with their Singles album (1969-1981), so I knew the album was going to be the inspiration for my playlist. With the exception of a few songs that I shared recently, I re-recorded every song from their Singles album that I've featured on my YouTube channel or blog, and then recorded several more for the first time. There were only five songs from their album that I didn't include because they were not a good vocal fit for me.
Overall, this project has been an amazing experience! I'll admit it hasn't always been easy, as recording is a very challenging and meticulous process. There were days when my vocals were tired and not as vibrant and I had to postpone recording. I also had a sinus infection for almost two weeks in late September, which delayed my recording schedule. I often thought about how Richard and Karen must have felt trying to squeeze in time to record all of their albums in between a crazy touring schedule!
What resonated most with me while recording these songs was how I was able to emotionally connect to both myself and to Karen. Since I still wanted to remain true to her vocal performance in this tribute, that required me to make that deep connection with her as well.
We both somehow merged in a soulful and beautiful way, as I had several breakthroughs, which included these songs: "Rainy Days And Mondays," "Goodbye To Love," "Top Of The World," I Need To Be In Love," and "I Won’t Last A Day Without You." I was able to capture the essence and spirit of Karen, including her unique vocal inflections and expressions. These songs have also meant a lot to me on my own journey to joy, peace, and healing. Along the way, I've felt the melancholy of "Rainy Days," the pure happiness of "Top Of The World," and the longing for romantic love with "Goodbye," and "I Need To Be In Love." "I Won't Last A Day," is a reminder of my love and gratitude for family and friends, and my dog Reesee (who passed away five months ago).
The biggest surprise for me emotionally was when I re-recorded "Now," which is known to be the last song Karen recorded before she passed on February 4, 1983. Many of you may know that she was married for a short time (two years from 1980-82), and it unfortunately ended in divorce. She left this world without finding her happy ending in love. In her performance though, you hear hope because this song is all about finally finding love, and being totally shocked that it happened. I decided to record this song last, and it was also going to be the last song on the playlist. I felt it was the best way to end my tribute, with hope.
When I listened back to my finalized cover of this song, I was brought to tears. I was able to connect to both Karen's emotions and my own because I have not yet found my happy ending in love. While this often makes me feel sad, this song is so transformational and I consider it to be my manifestation song. It makes me a believer that love is on its way! In the meantime, I've been filled with so much self-love for how far I’ve come, even over the past year, and even with the grief of losing my Reesee girl. I’ve kept going and I'm still pursuing my passions!
Although I’m thrilled to share this playlist with all of you, there is so much more importance in knowing that I completed it for myself. This is my musical journey and a part of who I am and what continues to bring me joy. Even though I doubted myself a few times, I had to remain confident in my singing and not, “worry if it’s not good enough for anyone else to hear.” The fact that I had a vision for this project and completed it as planned is enough for me and I should feel very proud of my accomplishment. I had to come to a point where it didn’t need any further fixing and tweaking. This has helped me believe that it doesn't need to be perfect to be good enough. It just needs to be me. And it is!
I’m excited to share my heartfelt tribute and a celebration of their music. It is my hope that those who grew up with the Carpenters will enjoy the journey back to yesterday, and that those from my generation can discover their timeless music for the first time. A special thanks to my friend, Bryan Tyler, for taking all these photos of me in my Carpenters t-shirt! Thank you all for listening! And to Richard and Karen...thank you for the music!!
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